If you bought a car in a big Chinese cities, you might complain about having to win in a lottery (Beijing) or pay in an auction (Shanghai) just to have the right to buy one. And even after that, you aren't allowed to drive your car everyday of the week.

Cars in America are still relatively cheap to buy and operate by world standards. They aren't much cheaper in China (and can become very expensive for non-econo luxury models), and you can face a lot of restrictions on when you can use them.